Texas 23, Baylor 17

Texas couldn’t get the two week off break at a better time. Not only does it need the break after an amazing first half of the season, but it was a grind with tough win after tough win, and now Sam Ehlinger is hurt. He got knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury, and now he gets time to rest up.

Shane Buechele came up big when he was needed most. He stepped right in, completed 20-of-34 passes for 184 yards and a score with a pick, and the Longhorns survived. It was the ground game that helped take over, too, with Keontay Ingram running for 110 yards to do just enough to balance things out. Collin Johnson went off, catching 11 passes for 132 yards and a score. However …

Baylor still had throws in the end zone with a chance to win the game. Charlie Brewer led the team with just 22 rushing yards, and he threw for 240 yards and a score to keep the Bears in the game. Under pressure from a relentless Texas pass rush, he was beaten up and pushed around, but he was right there with a chance to pull it off … right up until he sent his final pass through the end zone.

This was Baylor’s shot to do something really, really big under Matt Rhule. Now it has to go to West Virginia for a Thursday night game after getting next Saturday off. The Bears still have to get two more wins, and that’s not going to be easy. They need to take care of Oklahoma State in Waco, and pull off an upset somewhere else.